Cattle branding and dehorning chute



y 1950 l. L. STEPHENSON I 2,508,549

CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed April 25, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet l uw'n INVENTOR. ISA/9C & STEPHENSON y 9 l. STEPHENSON 2,508,549

CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed April 23, 1947 '7 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V ENIOR. ISAAC Z 5 TEPf/EN50/V BY W May 23, 1950 1. L. STEPHENSON ,5 8,5 9

CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed April 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 3 BY 5 a y ,1950 l. L. STEPHENSON 2,508,549

OfiTTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed April 23, 1947 7 Shets-Shet 4 INVENTOR. Q Q q 54/10 4.57'EP/IEN50/V y 3, 1950 1. L. STEPHENSON 2,508,549

CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed April 23, 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 5 May 23, 1950 l. L. STEPHENSON CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Filed Aprii as. 1947 7 Sheets-Sheet 6 3 f. 0 .3 o. M 0 no MW 4 0 0 I4 I aw 4 2 Z a 4% a a 1 e a fi. a 4 0 1 N WI! 5\ 4 WV a 6/ 4 w a z z M 4 3 a .6 I I l ififi IN V EN TOR. ISAAC L. STEP/151150 y 3, 1950 l. L. STEPHENSON 2,508,549

' CATTLE BRANDING AND DEHORNING CHUTE Fiied- April 2:5, 194? '7 Sheets-Sheet 7 INVENTOR. zszmc z STEP/161780 i atented May 23, 1950 AIILEBB NDI G AND v GHUTE" sten en n n larro sett Tea;

4 Balms.- 1.

This invention relates. to an improved" cattle deh orning andbranding chute, it'being. one ob ject of 1 the invention toprovide a deviceofthls characten-ofi-such construction: that cattle and other animals may be driven; into the. chute throughthe' rear end thereof and confined in: the chutewhile being'branded, a gate-at the front end of thechute being then opened 50 that the animal m-ay leave the chute.

Another object ofthe invention. is to-provide a chute having means at its front end: associated with the front gate and so constructed that the animals headandnose maybe firmly gripped and held whilebe ing dehorned Another object of the invention-is toprovldea chute having a frontgate adapted to be swung to a closed position bva person standing at a side of the chute and also releasedby the person at the-side oi the chute, the yokesfor gripping the neck and nose of the animal being also operable by the person standing at the side of the. chute. It will thus be-seenthat if an animal chargesout of the front end of the chute after being branded or dehorned orbefore: the gate canbe closed the person operating the. front" gate and the yokes will be out of the way and. notliable to betrampled. by the animal;

Another object of the invention isto. provide the chute with a frontgate. and aneck yoke which are verticallyadjustable-in order-to accommodate-them to: large or small: animals.

Anotherobject of the invention is to provide a chutehaving sidewalls mountedifor movement toward and away: from-each other transversely,

thus: allowing the walls to serve as clamps 1 for gripping the animarfrom opposite sidesi and pre venting1 it:frommoving while beiiigbranded or 'dehorned.

' Another object of the. invention. is. to. provide a chute; whereinrthe movables ide -walls maybe adjusted at their points of pivotal mounting and thu be abletoaccommodate animals; of: differ.- ent sizes.

Another objectofv the invention is to. provide a chute having pivoted walls providedwithoperating means. of such constructionthat-th two side; walls-"will: be. simultaneously-move: toward and: away.- from each other.

Anothenobject of the. invention. is to provide a. rear gatemounted:- for: vertical movement to raisedandlowered positions, downwards move.- ment'of the rear gate being. limited: so: that after an. animal. has been secured-.in theachutenthe rear: portion of the animal Will-beexposed under the.- gate for :castrating purposes.

- -Another-object of the invention is to provide. a chute. of; this; character which; is. simplein con;- sttuctionhvery' sturdy. and easyi to operate.

' The nvent on s ll str tedz n the; acc mpanyin h in awh r y -la 1.1. har a .e ztlsaimnmvedochnte.

Fig. 2 is a view looking: at the-front end otithe chute.

Rig. is a. iear view; thereof.

Figt ids-a top plan view oftheimprovedohute Fig. 5: a vertical. sectional: view' taken longiftudinallvthrough theln provedchute along th'e line 5-5 ofEig-ure4;

Fig-. 6 isa-"transversesectionalviewtaken along the line; 6"-6 -of= Figure: l, and looking to.- warditherean endor thechute:

Fig. 7 is a-transverse sectional view taken along the line:1 --'I ofiFigu-re 1= and lookingtoward the. front end: of the-chute.

. Eig. 8. is a-irag'mentaryview sho wing the front end portion of one side ofthechutei Fig: 9. is.a fragmentarysectionatview upon an enlarged scale: taken-along the line'- 9 9 of: Fig- 1113652;

Rig. L0; is a perspective viewupon an enlarged scaleesho'wingl. the manner in which side wallsarc, pivotally.= and& adjust-ably mounted.

Eig. 1:1 isaui-ra'gmentany sectional:view upon an ...en1ar.ged2 scaletaken-along the=line H I to: Eigure:.2.

I chute is intendedfor use upon: ranches, stockiarms, and: other places where large num bers .of cattle, horsesi amt: other animals are raised and. is used. while branding, dehorninggor otherwise operating-- upon. the. animals; The

chute, has: at base. firame. lriwhich is on greater length than .width..and: haslside. bars and end bars; formedaof tangle. metal.- Gross: strips- 4 are; carriedgbyatheiside harsh-2iins-paeed relatmn to; each; other.-,.1ongitudina11y. of: the; base and upon these; strips isa-momited'asfiooringl; E formed of thiclszboardsz,and extending the fiultilengtlr of the; base.- i'rlonteand-z rear cornen posts 6;-='-1 8',

shoes. or lower. barstrest up n boisters'oigstrips 24L- mounted; .upon thei fiooring. andextending transversely; thereonthese... cross strips; being transverselm t-aperedi in; cross section, sho-vvn inwEigures; 1\.I 5:. so .thatzthe; side walla may be slid: along" them-.towardaor awavir from. each other and bhG gDiHfiOB stub: shafts disposed in position. to. entergselected onesiiotthe sockets t8. BM-fi s arraa em ts' ezside w 1 be an.

ia te ea pm.-

tion. 'to extend horizontally issecured at its upper end to the lever 39 near the lower end thereof vide room for animals of various sizes to stand upon the flooring between the side walls. Upper and lower bars 2| and'22 which are formed of angle metal extend between upper portions of the end bars l4. Between the lower bars or shoes l5 and the bars 22 are disposed vertically extending bars 23 formed of metal pipes or tubes. These bars 23 are provided at their lower ends with pins 24 which are removably passed through openings formed in upper walls of the hollow shoes I5. Upper ends of the bars 23 register with openings formed through horizontal flanges of the bars 22 so that securing pins 25 may be passed downwardly through the bars 22 and into upper ends of the bars 23 to removably hold the bars 23 in place. Chains 26 connect the pins 25 with the upper bars 2| and prevent loss of these pins. 7 When the pins 25 are withdrawn the bars 23 are freed at their upper ends and can be tilted outwardly and lifted out of engagement with the bars or shoes I5. Boards 21 extend longitudinally of the side walls and are set one upon another with their ends engaging the end bars l4 and intermediate portions resting against inner surfaces of the tubular bars 23. By providing these bars animals confined in the chute will be prevented fromgetting their legs caught between the tubular bars if they kick and broken legs will thus be avoided.

When an animal'is in the chute the side walls are to be moved toward each other in order to clamp the animal from opposite sides and prevent the animal from moving while being branded. In order to move the side walls toward and away from each other there has been provided adjusting mechanism including a rocker shaft 28 rotatably mounted" through bearings 29 carried by the end bars |2 extending between upper ends of the corner posts. Rocker arms 30 are carried by the rocker shaft near its ends and these rocker arms have their ends connected with upper ends of the end bars M by links 3|. A bracket 32 is pivotally mounted at one end of the cross bar |2 at the rear end of the chute and at the upper end of this bracket is a cross arm 33 which extends transversely of the chute and has its inner end connected with the upper end of the rear rocker arm 30 and its outer end pivoted to a vertically extending rod or link 35. The

lower end of the rod 35 is pivoted to an arm 36 r carried by a shaft 37 which is rotatably mounted by a bearing bracket 38 and the shaft 31 carries ,a lever 39 by means of which the shaft is turned to shift the rod 35 vertically and impart rocking movement to the rocker shaft 28 and the rocker arms 30 carried thereby. As the rocker arms move the links 3| will be shifted longitudinally and the two side walls l3 moved toward or away from each other into and out of a clamping posi- A rod having its lower end portion bent and its horizontally extending lower portion extends across the toothed lower end portion 40' of a locking bar 46 and'forms a latch 4| for en- .gaging the teeth of the locking bar and preventiing accidental movement of the side walls out .of a clamping position. The locking bar has its .upper end pivoted to a bracket 42 carried by the companion corner post 9 and this locking bar is urged away from the corner post by a spring 43 .so that as the lever is swung downwardly the latch will move from one tooth of the locking bar to another and firmly hold the side walls in clamping engagement with opposite sides of an iii animal in the chute. A cross bar or pedal 44 is provided at the lower end of the rack bar so that when an animal is to be released an attendant may place his foot upon this pedal and apply pressure to swing the locking bar inwardly out of engagement with the latch and then manipulate the lever 39 to swing the side walls away from each other.

Front and rear doors 45 and 46 are provided for the chute. The rear door is formed of boards braced by strips of angle metal 41, and this door is slidably mounted for vertical movement in tracks formed by guide strips 48. These track bars or strips are formed of angle metal and have their upper portions projecting above the corner posts 8 and 9 and connected at their upper ends by a cross bar 49 midway the length of which is mounted a pulley 50. A rope 5| has one end secured to the center bracing strip 41 and is trained about the pulleywith a free end portion extending downwardly therefrom with its free end formed with a hand hold or loop 52 by means of which the rope may be readily grasped and pull exerted to draw the gate 46 to a raised or opened position and allow an animal toenter the chute. After the animal has entered the chute the gate is allowed to move down wardly to its closed position where it comes to rest upon stops or abutment bars 53 which extend horizontally with their outer ends secured to the corner posts 8 and 9 and their other ends secured to bracing bars or strips 54 which extend vertically and have their upper ends secured to said corner posts. Since the abutments 53 are spaced upwardly from lower ends of the corner posts the lower edge of the rear door will be spaced upwardly from' the floor of the chute when closed and a castrating operation may be performed by an attendant at the rear end of the chute.

The front gate 45 is held closed when an animal is driven into the chute and during the time the animal is to be confined therein, but when the animal is to leave the chute the front door or gate is opened and the animal leaves through the front end of the chute. This front door or gate is formed of boards resting. upon one another in a metal frame 55 which reinforces margins of the gate, and upon referring to Figure 2 it will be seen that the upper edge portion of the gate is formed with a recess 56 to receive the neck of an animal occupying the chute. The strip of angle metal from which the vertically extending inner side bar of the reinforcing frame is formed is extended upwardly to form an elongated hinge bar 51 and this hinge bar is pivotally mounted by companion ears 5B carried by the hinge bar 51 and by a mounting strip or bar 51' extending vertically along the corner post 6. Therefore the front gate will be mounted for swinging movement to closed and opened positions. A bracing bar 59 which extends diagonally along the outer face of the'front gate and projects upwardly therefrom with its upper end secured to the hinge bar prevents sagging of the gate. It should also be noted that the post 6 is formed with vertically extending slots 6a to receive bolts 6b by means of which the bar 51 is secured against the post. This allows the bar to be shifted vertically to adjusted positions and the gate accommodated to large or small animals.

A latch bar 60 mounted transversely of the gate projects from the free side of the gate and when the gate is closed the bevelled outer end' of this latch moves into engagement with a keeper 6|,

mi ls-keeper is pivoted-1 by a pin 62 for-swingin movement between bearing. brackets 63 and carties anoperating handle or lever arm 64' which projects -rearwardly from the. keeper and is engaged by a spring 65 so that the keeper will be yieldably held in position to overlap the free end ofthe latch bar and hold-the door or gate closed. A pin 66- which passes through the springand also through the handle and through a bracket 5]" carried by the-corner post I limits movement of the handle outwardly from the post and preventsthe spring from becoming displaced. When the keeper is swung to a releasing position: a plunger 68 which slidably passes through abracket 69- carried by the post 6 and is urged outwardly by a spring it which imparts outwardly swinging movement to the gate and moves it to an opened position. A rod ll extends upwardly from the hinge bar 51 of the gate and is curved so that itv projects toward the free side of the gate at a iorward incline, an eye "i2 being formed at the upper end of this rod so that a rope or chain 13 may be. secured to the rod. This rope extends transversely of the chute and is passed through the-neye 1-4 of a guide bracket 15 with its freeend portion extending downwardly and terminating inalooplfi constituting a handheld by means of which the rope may be readily grasped and pull exerted to swing the gate to a closed position.

'After an animal has been driven into the chute and clamped between the side walls 43 it faces the front end of the chute with its head and neck projecting forwardly through the recess 56 in the front gate. The head of the animal must be heldagainst movement while horns are being removed and in order to do so there has been provided'a clamping bar or yoke Ti pivoted at its lower end to a strip i8 extending vertically along thecorner post 5, and secured by bolts passed through vertically extending slots to formed in the post so that the strip l8 may be shifted to position the yoke in cooperating relation to the vertically adjusted front gate. The clamping bar isbent intermediate its length to form a yoke or neck-engaging portion-l3 disposed over the recess 56 of the front gate when the clamping bar-is swung downwardly to a clamping position and since this U-shaped portion or yoke straddles the animals neck the animal will be prevented from raising its head and neck. A rope 89 is secured at one end to the free end of the clamping bar so that a person standing at one side of the frontv end of the chute may grasp this rope and exert pull thereon to swing the clamping bar downwardly to a clamping position and the other end of the rope may be tied to a side wall of the chute or at any other convenient point so that it will be held in such position that it may be conveniently grasped by the attendant. When the clamping bar or yoke is swung downwardly it moves between the front end of the chute and a guide bar 81 which extends vertically in front of the corner post I and has its upper portion bent to extend horizontally in front of the forward cross bar I 2 and secured at one end to this, cross bar; This guide bar directs swinging movement o-f-the clamping bar and causes it to have movement into engagement with teeth of a locking bar 8 2 which extends vertically along the outer, side of the post 'i' and is pivoted at its upper end to this post. An ear 83 projects rearwardly from the pivoted upper end of the locking bar 32 and carries a fastener 84 by means of which the upper end of a rod 85 is connected with the ear. The rod 85 extends vertically along the post I and has itszlowen end pivotedtothefront emf of atreadle 86:. which extends longitudinally of. the. base and isipivoteds to a sides ban-2 thereof... "A. spningitft which. extends vertically and; has: its upper and engaged. about the. rod 85. over. the'iasteneri M and itslower endeanchored to.- the-bracket. or the pin 66 by a hook 88-:exerts downward pull.- upontheear- 83' to tilt the locking! barlllforwardly and yieldably hold it in an operative-position. f or engagement by the clamping .bar to. hold the clamping bar in the lowered position. As; long as the lockingbar is in its normal: position itwi'llhold theclamping. bar in a. clamping position but when an attendant. steps upon the rear end. at thetreadle andv exerts upward thrust. uponthe. rod 85, the locking barwill. beswung rearwardly about its pivot and moved into positionto release the clamping, bar. When the clamping bar -,is released a spring 39 which extends; longitudinally of the post 6 and has; its lower end connected with an ear 91? close. to the pivotedlowerendpf the-clamping bar. by: a link 9! and its upper end connected with a hook 92 mounted through-an car 93 proiecting-fromtheupper end of, thediagonally extending upper-portion of the. strip;'l-8j, exerts upward. pull upon the ear 98 and swings the clamping bar to a raised; position. to. release the. neck of the animal. Since-the: lever 16 is locatedabout the tread1e-,86 an operator; standing. at a sideof the chute may place-his kneesagainst the lever and apply pressure to. release the front. gate while operating the treadle to release; the yoke. and then the.- animal will be free to walk out of the front end of thechute.

It is also desired to prevent the animal frombiliing, attendants during a dehorning operationor moving. its head from side to-sideand; in order to do sothere has been provideda second clamping bar 94 having its: lower end pivoted in the slotted head or bearing- 95 at the upper end of a pin 96. which extends vertically and is rotatably mounted through upper and lower arms-of a bracketal carried by and projecting forwardly from the hinged side of-the front gate. A plurality of openings 98 are formed through the upper and lower armsof thebracket 91 so thatby passing thepin 96 throughselected onesof these openingsrthe. clampingbar94 may be adjusted toward and away from the front gate and thus disposed in such position that. when, it is swung downwardly the yoke 99 formed, intermediate its length. will straddlethev nose portion of the animal and very eifectively prevent-the animal from biting and also prevent the-animal from moving its head transversely while its hornsare being removed. A chain I00 carried by the gatelfll releasably holds the clamping. bar 94 in its clampingposition.

After thehorns have been removed and the animal branded the two'clamping bars are released for movement out of a clampingposition and the front gate is then released for movement. to anopened position. Since the attendants stand'at sides of the. chute when the front gate is released the animal may leave the chute through the open frontend, thereof. The. side walls of the chute will be swung away from each other out of grippingengagement;withsides of the animal either before. or after. the clamping bars are released and prior to opening of the front gate andwhen thefront gateis opened theanimal will be free to walk out of the chute. If the animal should become stubborn or balky and lie down in the chute when released instead of walking out through the open front end of the chute,

the pins .25 may be withdrawn from .upper ends of the tubular bars 23, thus allowing these tubular bars and the boards 21 to be removed and the animal rolled out of the chute through one side thereof. The tubular bars and the boards will then be replaced and the chute will again be ready for use.

Having thus'described the invention, what is claimed is:. g

1. An :animal holding chute comprising a base, front and rear corner posts rising from the base, an upper frame secured to the corner posts, vertical side walls extending longitudinally of the chute and pivoted at ends of their lower edges for swinging movement toward and away from each other into and out of position for gripping an animal between the side walls, a rocker shaft extending longitudinally of the chute and rotatably carried by the upper frame, rocker arms carried by said rocker shaft, links connecting ends of the rocker arms with upper portions of the side walls, a bracket extending outwardly from one end of the rear cross bar and pivotally mounted for vertical swinging movement, a cross head at the outer end of said bracket, a link con-,

necting the inner end of said cross head with an end of onerocker arm, a lever pivoted for vertical swinging movement adjacent the lower end of one rear corner post, an arm moving with said lever and extending outwardly therefrom, a rod connecting the outer end of the cross head with the outer end of the last mentioned arm, a vertical locking bar pivoted at its upper end to the last mentioned rear corner post and having its lower position passing between the lever and the last mentioned arm and formed with teeth, and a rod carried by the lever and the last mentioned arm and having a portion extending across the toothed portion of the locking bar and constituting a latch for engaging the teeth and releasably holding thelever in position for retaining theside walls in a gripping position, said locking bar being urged outwardly into position for engagement with the latch and when moved inwardly releasably the latch to permit move-- ment of the side walls away from each other.

2. An animal holding chute comprising a base, front and rear corner posts rising from the base, an upper frame carried by said posts and having side bars and front and rear end bars, side walls for the chute, a rear gate movable to opened and closed positions, a front gate for the chute hinged at one side to one'front corner post,

means for releasably securing the front gate closed, an ear projecting from the said front corner post, a plunger slidable through said ear, and'shifted rearwardly by the front gate when the said gate is closed, a spring urging the plunger outwardly, thespring being compressed when the plunger is shifted rearwardly and serving to swing thefront gate to its opened position when the front gate is released, and means for securing the neck and head of an animal in position projecting outwardly across the front gate.

3, An animal holding chute comprising a base. front and rear corner posts rising from the base, an upper frame carried by the corner posts and having side bars and front and rear end bars, side walls forthe chute, a rear gate for the chute movable to closed and opened positions, a front gate for the chute hinged'at'one side to one of the front corner posts, means for releasably securing the front gate closed, the front gate having a recess in its upper edge for receiving the neck of an animal thrust outwardly across the front gate, a clamping bar pivoted to the said front corner post for vertical swinging movement from a raised position to a lowered position across the front end of the chute and provided intermediate its length with a yoke for straddling the neck of an animal and holding the animal's neck in the recess of the front gate, a rack bar extending vertically and pivoted at its upper end of the second front corner post, an ear extending rearwardly from the upper end portion of said rack bar, a fastener carried by said ear, a spring extending vertically and anchored at its lower end, the upper end of the spring being engaged with the fastener and exerting downward pull to yieldably hold the rack bar in position for engagement wlththe clamping bar to hold the clamping bar in a lowered position, a treadle pivoted at a side of said base, and a rod connecting the treadle with the ear and moving the rack bar to a releasing position when pressure is applied to the treadle to shift the rod upwardly.

4. An animal holding chute comprising a base, front and rear corner posts rising from the base, an upper frame carried by the corner posts and having side bars and front and rear end bars, side Walls for the chute, a rear gate for the chute movable to closed and opened positions, a front gate for the chute hinged at one side to one of the front corner posts, means for releasably se-'- curing the front gate closed, the front gate having a recess in its upper edge for receiving the neck of an animal thrust outwardly across the front gate, a clamping bar pivoted to the said front corner post for vertical swinging movement from a raised position to a lowered position across the front end of the chute and provided intermediate its length with ayoke for straddling the neck of an animal and holding the animal's neck in the recess in the front gate, a locking bar carried by the other front corner post and having teeth for engagement by the clamping bar to releasably hold the clamping bar in its lowered position, means for moving the locking bar to a releasing position, an ear extending from the pivoted end of the clamping bar, and a spring extending vertically along the first front corner post and having its lower end connected with the ear for exerting upward pull and swinging the clamping bar upwardly when the locking bar is moved into position to release the clamping bar.

ISAAC L. STEPHENSON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent;

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 733,874 Beck et a1 July 14, 1903 1,560,888 Watt Nov. 10, 1925 1,805,405 Kuhns May 12, 1931 ..2,136,008 Gregory Nov. 8, 1933 2,308,213 Shearer Jan. 12, 1943 12,214,969 McNett Sept. 17, 19 14 2,396,928 Parsons Mar. 19, 1946 2,438,322 McDonough Mar. 23, 1948 

